This
Semi-professional West London band first went under the name of "Denny
& The Jaywalkers" in late 1960, but their then singer Denny De
Banks, who was two years older than the other band members, soon
retired. So the rest of the band - lead guitarist Brian Cell, rhythm
guitarist Brian Mansell, bass player Dave Tippler and drummer Terry
Mabey - auditioned for a replacement and Mick Wheeler from Twickenham
eventually came into the picture. Wheeler was originally playing rhythm
guitar for another local band The Paragons but wanted to do more
singing. Thus they became "Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers" in early
1961 (1).

They were managed by
DJ Phil Jay who worked for promoter Larry Parnes, compering his "Star
Spangled Nights" tours and rhythm band competitions.

Jay
discovered Denny & The Jaywalkers during one of these
competitions in Twickenham. He was also managing Frankie Reid &
the Casuals and The Conchords, whose vocalist was future Mungo Jerry Ray
Dorset (2). The Conchords did some supports to The Jaywalkers and some
other gigs and eventually the Sunday night residency at the White Heart
pub on the Uxbridge Road in Southall.

Mid-1961,
they went for an audition for Don Arden, Gene Vincent's manager, at the
2 i'S coffee bar but Arden was not keen on Brian Cell so they were
partnered up with Ritchie Blackmore (3) who was known as "Blackie" at
that time, then-lead guitarist with the Dominators, and responded to the
advert after missing out on a job with Screaming Lord Sutch.
They
therefore got their first big break in early August 1961 when they
first supported Gene Vincent at Slough Carlton Ballroom (4).
Then
they joined a package tour called "A Star Spangled Night" and headlined
by Billy Fury with a bill that consisted of Eden Kane, Karl Denver, The
Allisons, Chas McDevitt & Shirley Douglas, Dave Sampson, Gordon
Peters... and Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers in November 1961. It
was, in fact, only because Shirley Douglas took ill that they got such a
prodigious gig as Mick Wheeler recalls (5). Because they were Last
minute stand-ins the presence of Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, who
were backing Eden Kane (and later recorded with Joe Meek, "French Can
Can '62"), caused some confusion for Wheeler and his pals…
A few days later, Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers supported Gene Vincent again at the Community Centre, Southall.
Blackmore
thus took up music professionally, going on the road with them, and
gave up his day job as an aircraft radio technician at the Heathrow
Airport. By this time he purchased his cherry red Gibson ES835 guitar,
identical to the one Chuck Berry used.
The first record he ever
made was "Stolen Hours" c/w "My Blue Heaven" with The Jaywalkers for
Decca Records, in 1961. They wanted it rocked up , but it got turned
down and unfortunately remained unreleased.

During
winter 1961, Terry Maybey was hospitalised and Derek "Degsy" Sirmon (who
was just 15 at the time), drummer with The Conchords, got asked to step
in for The Jaywalkers who gave him a regular job with them...

Mike
Dee & the Jaywalkers renamed themselves as the Condors and
acted as backing group during a short tour Kestrels and Danny Rivers.

By
April 1962, because of the confusion with Peter Jay’s lot, they decided
to change their name to the Condors unbeknownst to them… Johnny
Milton’s Condors… they were mistakenly booked on the Gary 'US'
Bonds/Johnny Burnette/Gene McDaniels package tour… the Kestrels and
Danny Rivers… all of whom the Condors were employed to back (package
tour - April 21 to May 13, 1962).

When Bernie Watson left the Savages, Blackmore accepted the gig… had to fulfill his commitments as guitarist for The Condors.

Mike
Dee later formed The Prophets with Mel Wayne (sax) and Kenny Hope
(drums) among others. The band changed name to The All Night Workers in
early 1965.

(1) Brian Hosking"The
Jaywalkers were probably the first live band I saw and I was probably
about 14... They went under the name of "Denny and the Jaywalkers".
Denny looked ever so old to me at that age so he probably retired and
they auditioned for a replacement which was the opening for Mick Wheeler
who was playing rhythm for another local band but wanted to do more
singing. This would have been around 1961.Throughout this time the
line up was Brian Sell Lead guitar, Brian Mansell Rhythm, Dave Tippler
Bass and Terrry Mabey drums. The next time I saw them they were "Mike
Dee and the Jaywalkers.This continued for a while until they went
for an audition for Don Arden at the 2 i'S coffee bar but Arden was not
keen on Brian Sell so they were partnered up with Richie Blackmore who
was known as "Blackie" at that time. This was fairly short lived
however, as he soon moved on to Sutch and The Outlaws and Brian came
back."

(2) Ray Dorset"The Conchords got mixed up with a
DJ called Phil Jay, who had something to do with a local band Frankie
Reid & the Casuals and also managed another local band, Mike Dee
& The Jaywalkers, their guitarist at the time was Brian Cell
and when he left the band he was replaced by Ritchie Blackmore... We did
some supports to The Jaywalkers and some other gigs and eventually the
Sunday night residency at the White Heart pub on the Uxbridge Road in
Southall... Deg’s was a great natural drummer and one night got
asked to step in for The Jaywalkers who gave him a regular job with them
and it wasn’t long after that he joined the band of Screaming Lord
Sutch that Ritchie Blackmore went to play with."

(3) "Record Collector" #228, August 1998RC: Your pret proper job was as an aircraft radio technician. When did you decide to take up music professionally? Ritchie
Blackmore: "I was in this band, Mike Dee & the Jaywalkers, who
wanted to go on the road. I was sixteen and that was how I started in
the profession. We travelled up and down the M1 in a Bedford van, with
the back door half-open. It would get really cold. The first record I
ever made was with them in 1961. It was called "My Blue Heaven" and
they wanted it rocked up. We did it with Decca Records, but we got
turned down."

(4) Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers
supported twice Gene Vincent: on Tuesday August 1st 1961 at the Carlton
Ballroom, Slough, and then on Sunday November 26th at the Community
Centre, Southall, England.

(5-A) Mike Dee & The
Jaywalkers were last minute replacements for Shirley Douglas on package
tour headlined by Billy Fury & Eden Kane and promoted by Larry
Parnes, on Monday November 20th at the Granada , Dartford (Matinee show
starting at 6.40pm) and evening show at 8.50pm) and on Tuesday November
21st 1961 at the Guildhall, Portsmouth (Matinee show starting at 6.20pm
and evening show at 8.45pm).

(5-B) Mike Wheeler"We
got a phone call… could we come on, at Dartford, and replace Shirley
Douglas who took ill. We only did 3 or so gigs. Funnily enough the other
Jaywalkers were on that tour because they were backing Eden Kane…"

Derek Sirmon"Also
played Semi-professionally with Mike Dee and the Jaywalkers, when their
drummer (Terry Maybey) was hospitalised. That was the band where I
first worked with Ritchie Blackmore. It was Ritchie who persuaded
Screaming Lord Sutch to recruit me into "The Savages" - Without doubt
the hardest driving (and loudest) band in U.K."

Mike Wheeler:"I
knew something was up because it was at Southall Community Centre where
we were playing. Sutchy came down and Ritchie was chatting with him and
I knew he hadn’t come to see us… The reason Ritchie left really was
because we were averaging £10-£15 a week and Sutch offered him £20, plus
he was the best payers on the road… a really big pull. That’s why all
the big guitarists played with him because he paid so much."

The Deltones were a Croydon-based Rock and Roll band that evolved out of a skiffle group called The Discord Skifflers.The group is notable as having two fantastic guitarists in their line-ups: Jim Duncombe and Jeff Beck.Modelled themselves on Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps, they were first known locally as the Blue Caps, backing various Vincent's impersonators such as Johnny Del (real name Derek Burchall), Cal Danger and Ricky Sarsted (before he topped the British charts as "Eden Kane" with "Well I Ask you"). Their original lead guitarist Jim Duncombe was regarded as the ultimate Cliff Gallup disciple (1). Duncombe started to play Neopolitan Mandoline with Rod Lyward & the Hot Rods, and then switched to electric guitar with The Hi Fi Rock’n'Roll Band. By late 1960 he left to visit Hamburg with Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos. Strangely, this is the guy that Rod Lyward had recruited in his latest version of The Hi Fi's who stepped into his shoes: an art school student of sixteen called Jeff Beck (2). But his condition for joining the group was they had to take his school friend John Owen on Rhythm guitar (4).The band was managed by Roger Jarvie who was very skeptical the first time he saw Beck... with a long cardboard box under his arm (3).In late 1961, Johnny Del left to join The Crescents, their main competition (4). The Deltones thus became an instrumental band, covering the Shadows hits (5). They auditioned for BBC radio's Saturday Club, playing a rendition of "Cherry Pink Apple Blossom", and financed their own private disc which was recorded at R.G. Jones Studios in Morden (6), Surrey. They also made private recordings during a practise session, which included "Apache", "Sleepwalk" (one of Jeff's favourites even then) and "Driftin' " (7).They later backed American bluesman Memphis Slim at the Eel Pie Island.

Bass player George Clarke and drummer Mick Godfrey joined Jim Duncombe to play in Germany with his new band, The Continentals in late 1962 (8).Meanwhile Jeff Beck ended up joining Johnny Del (9) in The Crescents as a replacement for their more oriented Blues lead guitarist Ed Hamilton, just before they changed their name to The Nightshift and appeared at the 3rd National Jazz & Blues Festivals, at the Richmond Athletic Grounds, Surrey.Beck brought Clarke in The Nightshift for the 4th Richmond Jazz & Blues Festival, on 7 August 1964.

Cal Danger recorded a couple of singles for Fontana records, which were produced by Joe Meek in 1962: “Teenage Girlie Blues” and “Restless”. Danger wasn't related to the late Tony Dangerfield, who also worked with Joe Meek, recording "I've Seen Such Things" in 1964, and was the bassist of Screaming Lord Sutch's Savages for more than 3 decades.Ricky Sarsted topped the British charts as "Eden Kane" with his 2nd release, "Well I Ask you" in August 1961.

Their Story by Bassist George Clarke

"My first meeting with Jim Duncombe was around 1957 / 58. At the time I was working as an apprentice at a company called Trojan Engineering in Croydon, which had an apprentices club which was allowed to use the works canteen for recreational purposes. My parents had bought me a Stewart accoustic guitar which I was attempting to learn to play and eventually Jim came into the picture and suggested we form a group with him on lead guitar and vocals and me on rhythm guitar. Not being very good, I recall trying to play along on the E string using single notes and eventually Jim asked me to get a bass guitar and play that instead. As we improved, I think Mick Godfrey came in on drums and we started playing at local pubs, with our best gig at the Park Lane Ballroom in Croydon. We were joined by a pianist, Ernie Able who played rock and roll like a maniac! For some reason he didn't stay with us for long.After a while, Jim came to me and told me he was leaving the band and handed me a piece of paper with a name and address on it and suggested I went to see him with a view to becoming Jim's replacement.As it happened, the address was familiar to me as I grew up in Wallington and the address was close by.The name on the paper was... Jeff Beck. I went to see him and asked him if he would like to join the band. We had a chat about his favourite music, and, like Jim, he idolised Gene Vincent and Cliff Gallup, so he fitted in a treat. More to the point, we fitted in with him!We styled ourselves on the Blue Caps to the extent of wearing blue suits, white shoes and blue caps. Needless to say, our repertoire was strictly Rock and Roll and we were at the time, known locally as the Blue Caps.During the following years we played at some of the main dance halls in the area and established a regular weekly booking at the Dowgate Hall in Tonbridge, Kent.

By this time we had collected a rhythm guitarist, John Owen who was a friend of Jeff's and a singer, called Derek Burchall. Somewhere along the line we changed our name to The Deltones, Del being a nickname for "Derek".Because we had established ourselves locally, in order to improve our sound, Jeff bought a Fender Strat, John a Telecaster and I bought a Fender Precision Bass. Jeff frequently used John's Telecaster as it had more treble than the Strat.Our amplifiers left a lot to be desired, but we probably didn't know that then!One thing we did buy was a Watkins Copy Cat, but the tape kept breaking so eventually we bought a Binson Echorec, a vast improvement.I think, at the time Jeff was very much into Cliff Gallup and also Scotty Moore with some Les Paul thrown in.

During the life of the Deltones, we met up with another local singer by the name of Ricky Sarsted, better known as Eden Kane.We auditioned with him to become his backing group, but at the time we were not into doing dance steps, and Jeff was adamant he wasn't going to do it, so it didn't go any further. We did, however back Eden at local events, some of which were entirely unsuitable for a rock group with a lead guitarist who played with so much treble it would cut your ears off at 50 metres!!Eden became established and we continued on our merry way.

Another stage in my association with Jeff was the arrival on the scene of a character named Cal Danger who modelled himself on Gene Vincent, complete with limp, black leathers and a similar hairstyle.On one occassion we were late due to the fact that the van carrying our gear had two punctures on the way there, the first being easily dealt with by fitting the spare wheel, but we had to get the second puncture repaired which is what made us late. Del was still with us at this point. Needless to say, the hall manager was not happy and our manager who I think was Roger Jarvie said to him "pay us more and we'll be on time" The manager's response was to inform, us that this would be our last booking; ie we were sacked!

A while later either Roger Jarvie or his friend unbeknown to the band, phoned the Dowgate Hall manager under a false name and asked him if he would like to book Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps at his venue. Naturally, he said yes.

We played the gig with the lights in the hall off, ostensibly to promote "atmosphere", but in truth, the main reason was to prevent any-one getting a good look at "Gene" - Cal Danger. The evening was a great success and we went down well with the crowd.

Next came a phone call to our manager asking if he had Gene Vincent on his books, the upshot being we were booked to play in Newmarket which was about 90 miles away from my home. It transpired that the rest of the group, including the manager were asked to meet up with the promoter in London, which they did. Upon arrival Roger Jarvie was approached and asked if Gene Vincent was in the van, to which he replied in the affirmative. At this point, I think the group was arrested, as the promoter was Don Arden, the real manager of Gene Vincent in the UK. I missed all the excitement cause I was not in the van with the rest of the group !!I had gone to Newmarket straight from work on my own.

To conclude, we were ordered to attend the The Old Bailey to face charges of deception. The press were all over us so we were sort of basking in the glory, but we didn't have to go in and all that happened was that we had a restraining order placed on us never to wear blue caps etc..Cal Danger broke down and was in a sorry state and the press walked away!

Some of our best gigs were at venues such as Eel Pie Island where we backed Memphis Slim.I am not sure what happened from there on with the Deltones. Jeff may have left the band or I may have just drifted away... I recall getting involved with a group called the Nightshift at the Richmond Jazz Festival..."

Notes(1) Jim Duncombe"About 1957 after a dispute I left the Hi Fi’s and joined “The Deltones”. We rehearsed at the Trojan Works in South Croydon on Thursday nights and Jeff Beck used to come along to watch. I’m the ultimate Cliff Gallup disciple and could play some of his soli and had made an Echo Machine from an “Elizabethan” tape recorder.Jeff couldn’t wait to play over it."Jeff took my place when I left the Deltones to join “Sonny Stewart & the Dynamos”.

(2) Jim Duncombe (from his website) "So a guy called Jeff Beck a friend of my school days, attended all our rehearsals. Later Jeff filled my place as lead guitarist and became a famous musician himself.I can't really remember how Jeff and I first met, so I'll start with the "Deltones" rehearsals at the "Trojan" works. Jeff appeared there with his friend Ian Buisel. I was lead guitar with The Deltones....and I had made was the first "Tape Echo" unit in the UK.

The Echo consisted of an "Elizabethan" tape recorder with a second reply head glued onto the deck to give the same delay Gene Vincent's early albums had... Jeff and I used to jam together at the rehearsals and occasionally, somewhat reluctantly, I'd let him plug into my Echo box.Jeff may have been about 16 or 17 then and the year could have been 1959/60.

I remember that Sonny Stewart asked me to join his band "Sonny Stewart & The Dynamo's".Jeff took my place with "Derek Burchall & The Deltones" and I last saw him play with them at Saint Margaret's Hall in Putney. He had progressed amazingly and had a (Watkins "Copy-Cat" I believe) echobox. They played Gene's "I've Got to Get to You Yet" and it sounded too good."

(3) Jeff Beck, Crazy Fingers (2001) - Annette Carson p.14-15It was while playing the Burns that Beck made the next significant move in his career, which involved approaching a band that had quite a following in the local area (South of London): they were called The Deltones.

"That was the hot item around our way. I used to see this van with 'Deltones' written on it, and I loved the name, and they also had pink jackets, which I thought was great. Then I was asked to go down to see them, and this guy called Ian Duncan (Jim Duncombe), who was fabulous, was leaving them, and I thought, 'My God, how am I going to fill his shoes?' He said, 'Look, I'll bugger off for a cup of tea, so you have a play and see how you get on,' and from that moment on, I realized there was a job for me there, because I was playing the solos off pat - but that was what they wanted, solos like the record. If they'd asked what else I could play, I'd have been finished… so I was knocked out, skipping home, and they said, “You’re playing at Putney Ballroom.”

The Deltones had metamorphosed from a skiffle group, the Discord Skifflers, into a pop group with the arrival of their boyish new lead singer, Derek Burchell-rechristened Johnny Del by the group's manager, Roger Jarvie - who bad a nice line in Cliff Richard songs like "Living Doll". So they'd switched to successful covers of the chart-topping Cliff, featuring on lead guitar "a little lefthanded genius named lan Duncan," (Jim Duncombe) as Jarvie describes him. Their previous gigs around the jazz clubs gradually gave way to regular spots at dance halls like the Wimbledon Palais, Hammersmith Palais, Park Lane Ballroom, and Tonbridge Dance Club; they even auditioned for BBC radio's Saturday Club and financed their own private disc.

Beck's chance came when Duncan (Duncombe) accepted a job as backing guitar for a new young singer, the brother of one of Britain's already rising popstars, Eden Kane; the young singer in question was Peter Sarstedt. The Deltones knew Beck as one of the regulars in their audience, but the idea of auditioning him was another proposition altogether-the lad was an art school student of sixteen, and the rest of the band members were in their early twenties. But they had nobody else lining up for the job, so one Thursday night they asked him along to a rehearsal in Croydon at Bowaters' Canteen on Purley Way. Beck appeared with a long cardboard box under his arm, leading the skeptical Roger Jarvie to wonder what kind of junk ay inside. "Then he opened it," Jarvie continues, "and took out an instrument that made all the rest of our equipment look ready for the scrap yard: the most beautiful red and gold Burns London guitar. And when he started playing we simply froze in disbelief - he was magic."Beck’s condition for joining the group was they had to take his school friend John Owen on Rhythm guitar...

"About that time my mate bought a Telecaster. £107 it cost him. It was a beauty, and I was stuck with this bloody Burns thing. So while I was in the group he played the Burns and I played the Tele."

(4) John Owen"Jeff Beck and i were school friends and both liked this great sound that the Blue caps were making. .. It is true that Jeff used to play my Telecaster and i played the Burns ,he used to make it sing !Even when he got his Stratocaster he still used to use the Tele for some of the songs."

(5) Harvey Hinsley"Our manager Paddy Jones liked Johnny Dell and stole him from the Deltones. This would be late '61 or early'62."

(7) George Clarke"Our main interest in the Shadows/Hank Marvin was to try to be the first group to play their hits on stage."

(8) Jim Duncombe"Jeff Beck auditioned for Rhythm guitar part for my cover band in Germany but although we got on great, he wasn’t right for the band - much too erratic, meaning creative. Lucky for posterity I turned him down…"

(9) Derek Burchall (Johnny Del) who preferred the likes of Frank Sinatra, re-joined and left The Crescents several times between late '61 and spring '63.

In 1957, Pat Cresswell was working as an interior designer at Hadfields Paint Company in Western Road, Mitcham, Surrey, when he put together his first group “The Blue Hounds” with Colin Johnson on bass and Ian Robinson on Drums. After winning a Skiffle competition at the Baths Hall in Mitcham, covering Carl Perkins' "Honey Dont", Cresswell decided to play only Rock'n'Roll and reorganized the band. He then hired lead guitarist Peter Budd (who worked at Hadfields as well) and his friend Geoffrey Fraser on rhythm guitar (1). Fraser however left shortly after and was replaced by Brian Maidment.The name was changed to “Pat Cresswell & The Crescents”, after Pat's surname, just because it was thought that the Crescents sounded better for the group (2). At the time, they were playing mostly Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran material.

In late 1958, while they were supporting Bert Weedon at a Saturday morning show at the Hammersmith Odeon Cinema, the Crescents were asked to back a new singer who had the same clothes that Pat Cresswell had: a Light Gray jacket, black shirt and black pants. His name was Brian Holden, and was later changed to Vince Taylor...

Pat Cresswell & the Crescents later recorded some demos that were never released for sales, and included "What I'd Say", "Whole lotta Of Shaking Going On", "Brand new Cadillac", "I want You To Know", "Dreaming", "Living Doll", "Never Mind", and "Cresta Run" (an instrumental written by Peter Budd).

By then they became very well known in the West London area - playing residencies at large ballrooms such as the Boat house at Kew Bridge, the Airport Bowl at Heathrow - playing five nights a week.By mid-59, Peter Budd moved to Rodney Ward & the Hi Fi's, replacing a young Jeff Beck (3), who then joined The Deltones (as a replacement for Jim Duncombe).As a result, Pat Cresswell recruited bass player Ray Halsey and guitarist Harvey Hinsley both from Davy & the Cats.He later threw Ian Robinson out and brought the remaining Cat, John Aldridge in on drums. They were also augmented by saxophone player Neville Hounslow. They needed him for Duane Eddy and Johnny & the Hurricanes stuff. But this was a fairly short-lived line-up as Cresswell finally left in turn at the end of 1960 and tried to form a band with a lead guitarist and a bass guitarist plus Mitch Mitchell (Georgie Fame, Jimi Hendrix ect.) who overplayed. The quartet played for the one and only gig in Southall Middlesex but it didnt work (4). So that Pete Lindsey, promoter of gigs, wouldn't take them on.

Pat Cresswell then decided to form the Cresters , after the name "Crester Run", with Peter Budd on lead, and the remaining Cats, Sydney Hayden on Rhythm Guitar and John Aldrich on Drums, plus Dave Strugnall on Bass guitar. After this Lindsey gave them gigs. A few months later, Cresswell left and the Cresters kept together with a new singer before resuming as an instrumental band.

Peter Budd left in 1962 to join Sonny Stewart & The dynamoes in Germany. He later worked with Dave Dacosta & the Strollers, Rory Blackwell, Earl Sheridan & the House Shakers, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Gene Vincent amongst others.

In the meanwhile, Pat Cresswell joined a band called "The Starfires" as the singer... He then formed a couple of duos and finished up playing guitar and singing on his own with backing tracks (5)."

(1) Peter Budd and Geoffrey Fraser both from a South London-based outfit called the “Blue Suedes”

(2) Pat Cresswell"After the skiffle went out of style, we started "The Blue Hounds" group. It was when Pete Budd and Brian Maidment joined that the name was changed to the Crescents because of my name Cresswell. It was thought that the Crescents sounded better for the group."

(3) Peter Budd"When I first practiced with Rodney Ward there was a reel to reel tape recorder sitting there and I asked Rodney who is belonged to? He said the last guitar player. It had an extra head to get an echo sound so I used it for the rehearsal. Suddenly the door opened and in walks this young kid and swore at me as it belonged to him. He took it away and his name was Jeff Beck...Jeff and I went to the same school. Elmwood Park high School in Beddington South London. He was a couple of years younger..."

(4) Pat Cresswell"When I left the Crescents, I met a lead guitarist and a bass guitarist and we got together to try to form a band, I phoned a drummer who I think was Mitch Mitchell and we played for the one and only gig in Southall Middlesex...It was rubbish!"

(5) Pat Cresswell"I met Peter Budd again, and with the drummer from the Crescent, the Cresters were formed, with Sid Hayden and a bass guitarist.Peter played more instrumentals--and the same as the crescents "hits" of the day and rock/roll etc.I think the Cresters were from the name "Crester Run".After a while I left , the Cresters kept together and in the meanwhile I joined a band called "The Starfires" as the singer... That was the last band I was in, since then I've been in a couple of duos and finished up playing guitar and singing on my own with backing tracks."

Arthur Champerlain alias "Sonny Stewart" and his professional band "The Dynamos" were very popular first in southern London and then in Western Germany during the early 60's. Their repertoire was the hits of the US charts and some Country and Western, playing Marty Robbins, Bob Luman, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chubby Checker with his famous "Twist again" and The Fly".The original Dynamoes consisted of guitarist Pat O'Grady, bassist Douggie Reece, pianist Les Smith who was then studying architecture, and drummer Ernie O'Malley. They all met up while working at the 2i's coffee bar in Old Compton Street, Soho. They started playing in the local clubs and the US airbases like Chicksands, Laken Heath, Brise Norton and Bushy Park and performed even on BBC Radio show "Saturday Club" during 1959.By 1960, Tony Collins replaced O'Grady. At the end of the year, there was some unrest with Sonny Stewart and his management, so it was decided to part company. When Chris Wayne was asked to supported Gene Vincent again in early 1961, he recruited drummer Laurie Jay, from Nero & The Gladiators, and the rest of The Dynamos - apart from Ernie O'Malley (1) - to be his new set of Echoes (who later backed Dusty Springfield from 1963).Meanwhile Stewart formed another group, recruiting guitarist Jim Duncombe (2) from the Deltones and bass player Frank Jackson formerly with Rodney Ward & the Hi Fi’s. The Dynamos then went off to find other work, first doing some gigs with Eden Cane before finally moving to Hamburg, Germany.

In August 1961, they started an engagement in Hamburg's famous scene club, the Top Ten at Reeperbahn 105, taking over from the Beatles. They played there nonstop daily from 17.00 hrs to 07.00 hrs in the morning.

After a gig in Hanau, Germany, in which Duncombe took over vocals, a local club owner called Aaron Brown supported his intention to found his own band, when finally he left the Dynamos in late 1962.Peter Budd from The Crestas, an acquaintance of Jackson's, stepped into his shoes (3). They kept playing clubs in Hamburg, but also in Frankfurt and other towns in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and the Scandinavian countries. They opened up for Bill Haley's band many times at American Bases.In late 1964, drummer Dave Constable and Peter Budd went with Dave Dacosta & the Strollers.Sonny Stewart eventually teamed up with the Tony Dangerfield's Thrills and toured Star Club circuit in Germany whilst their singer was in the UK promoting the record "I've seen sutch things."

Peter Budd kept playing guitar with Earl Sheridan & the House Shakers, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Gene Vincent amongst others. David Constable kept beating the skins for Dickie Pride. Jeff Pullem later joined Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, and he's now a reknown Language Author.Arthur Champerlain (Sonny Stewart) left music business and now lives in Adalaide, Australia.

Notes:

(1) Ernie O'Malley later played with The Cy Laurie's jazz band, The Blues By Six and then Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men

(2) Jim Duncombe"Jeff beck took my place when I left the Deltones to join “Sonny Stewart & the Dynamos”...Sonny Stewart and his professional band "The Dynamos" was already popular in southern London when I joined end of 1960. We played in the local clubs and the US airbases and came even as far as Birmingham.In August 1961 we started an engagement in Hamburg's famous scene club, the Top Ten at Reeperbahn 105, shortly after the Beatles had played there. Certainly hard work as we stepped into their path, playing nonstop daily from 17.00 hrs to 07.00 hrs in the morning. During this time I learned a lot from Tony Sheridan, the club's singer. During a replacement due to illness of both Tony and Sonny, I started singing, too...During a gig in Hanau, Germany, Aaron Brown, a local club owner, supported my intention to found my own band late 1962, when finally I left Sonny Steward and the Dynamos."

(3) Peter Budd"One day I got a letter from Frank Jackson, an old friend and bass player who I played with in the “Rodney Ward and the Hi Fi’s” band some time back. The letter was from Germany and asked if I knew a guitarist that would want to replace Jimmy Duncombe who was leaving “Sonny Stewart and the Dynamos”. Jimmy was a great guitarist, and even gave Jeff Beck some lessons at one time. I left for Germany the same week!I spent a few years with Sonny Stewart, playing clubs in Hamburg, Frankfurt and about every city and town in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and the Scandinavian countries. One of these clubs was the Star Club - now famous as an early ‘learning’ venue for the Beatles and other (then) ‘undiscovered’ groups... By and large we were treated well, but it was still a good idea to keep an eye on the ‘backstage door’ when the patrons got “good and tanked”!... With Sonny's band we opened up for Bill Haley's band many times at American Basses.After the stint with Sonny Stewart, Dave Constable and I went with “Dave Dacosta and the Strollers”.

(4) Ron - "The Elf" - Blackie"I was known as the Elf in Tony Dangerfield & the Thrills!!... whilst Tony was in UK promoting the record 'I've seen sutch things' and we were working in Germany for Sonny Stewart - we were then his Dynamos and played with King Size Taylor too."

Various Line-ups of Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos

Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos #1 (Early 1959 - Late 1960)

Arthur Champerlain (Lead Vocals) "Sonny Stewart"

Pat O'Grady (Lead Guitar)

Tony Collins (Lead Guitar)

Douglas Reece (Bass/Vocals) "Douggie Reece"

Lester Smith (Keyboards) "Les Smith"

Ernie O'Malley (Drums)

Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos #2 (Late 1960 - Late 1962)

Arthur Champerlain (Lead Vocals) "Sonny Stewart"

Jim Duncombe (Lead Guitar/Vocals)

Frank Jackson (Bass)

Roger King (Keyboards)

Dave Constable (Drums)

Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos #3 (Early 1963 - Late 1964)

Arthur Champerlain (Lead Vocals) "Sonny Stewart"

Peter Budd (Lead Guitar)

Frank Jackson (Bass)

Jeff Pullem (Keyboards)

Dave Constable (Drums)

Sonny Stewart & The Dynamos #4 (Early 1965)

Arthur Champerlain (Lead Vocals) "Sonny Stewart"

John Bedder (Lead Guitar)

Ron Blackie (Bass) "The Elfe"

Mike Benson (Keyboards)

Neil Norman (Drums)

Special thanks to Jim Duncombe, Peter Budd, and many others

If you can improve this article by providing further info or corrections ect.Please contact us: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

The Ealing Club Blue Plaque Gigs
To raise the final funds for the Ealing Club plaque, we have managed to put together three nights of music, featuring many musicians who realise the importance of the venue and are offering their time and input to help celebrate it.

22nd November:
The Hubcaps - Blues Covers and Original Material, with a very accomplished Harmonica Player at the helm.
The Bolaji Blues Band - Searing Blues Guitar will be on offer from this local band, who are rapidly sealing a reputation for their interpretation, of well known blues classics.
Brace Yourself - Following their brushes with Banksy in their former guise as Exit through the Gift Shop, this band entertained and went down a storm at their last Ealing Club Fringe performance. Guitar covers of 70′s/80′s 90′s and 00 $B!ls classics.

23rd November:
Live music on Wednesday, will have a tinge of Jazz with the band Fallen Heroes, who have already graced the Liverpool Jazz Festival and Ronnie Scotts. Cyril Davies may not have approved of the brass section but maybe Alexis would have given it a go.
The night will be hosted by Swamprock Dj’s Carol Lateman and Nigel Bewley. Sure to be lively, upbeat and of the highest quality. http://thefallenheroes.com/

24th November:
The Blues Tribute night on Thursday will serve up the Blues ……Robert Hokum/Guvnors, Norrie Burnett (British Blues pioneer who even played with C yril Davies) Doc Stenson (Singer, Guitar and Harmonica player, who played with Alexis Korner and entertained audiences at the July Ealing Fringe Gigs) with Ramon Goose and Geoff Garbow

Please e-mail us to reserve a place on the door, as we will limit the audience to 100 per night.

Please find enclosed a copy of the poster. More details available on the websites:

many thanks

Alistair

www.ealing-club.com
www.facebook.com/ealingclub

About The Prowlers

Alan Davies (singer) worked as a clerk then joined the British Army in the 1970s. We heard that later he had become a journalist and was living in Denmark. It is not known if he continued with his singing. We would love to get in touch with him if anyone knows his present contact details.

The League of Gentlemen

Bruce Welshfrom Canada is doing some work on a mid 60s British band The League of Gentlemen for his forthcoming encyclopaedya.

This was a different band from the Bournemouth band, whose original line-up included Gordon Haskell and Robert Fripp. Those one were the backing group for various black US soul stars who toured the UK, released a couple of singlesfor Columbia and Planet in 1965/6, and played at Manchester Oasis in spring '66.

Please contact us at tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

Blues by Five Resurected are playing at The Moraira Music Festival in Spain 12th June 2011.

Original members Len Ashley Vocals / Harp and Ron Faulkner Lead Guitar Vocals

Wanted

Lauren said...

Hiya, i wondered if anyone could help me, i am looking to get in touch with a John Cobb aka Johnny Vance, If anyone has any details of his whereabouts i would be extremely grateful

Thanks

If you can have information about Brian Howard & his Silhouettes
Please contact us with any further information at: tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

If you are searching for something on bands of those faraway decades too,
you can also leave a message here or at the bottom of this page

Buddy Britten & The Regents
Alan James about Buddy Britten & The Regents
"I played bass for the Simon Raverne Trio 1968-1969.We toured Europe doing us bases ect. and was resident band at Les Arches in Jersey.I have very fond menories of that time...It would be nice to hear from Simon (Geoff or Eddie Thorpe) or anybody else who knew us or played in the band before or after me"
http://www.forgottenbands.blogspot.com/2009/10/buddy-britten-regents.html

Winston G The Wicked
LEE JONES about Winston G The Wicked
"Hi my old man was the bass player in the fox... I'm not sure what era of the band he falls into but his name is Chris Jones and did record with the band and toured Germany with them. I'm actually trying to find out which recording he is featured on. If anyone could help please contact me." LEE JONES

Saxplayer Ian Thomas
Peter C.Budd would like to get in touch again with saxplayer Ian Thomas who played with Jimmy Duncombe and in Dave DaCostas band in Germany and France.
If anyone knows what happened to Ian, please contact us at tomusicstorytellers@gmail.com

CAN ANYONE HELP?

My Name Is TONY CHARMAN
Back In The 60s I Was The Bass Player In A Band With CARL DOUGLAS (Kung Fu Fighting) When The Band Ended I Started
Rehearsals With A Band (Please See Picture) I Am Top Right In The Picture
I Can’t Remember The Name Of The Band Or The Members
Can Any Body Help ?
If So Please Contact Me
Tony Charman
At tonys.taunton@hotmail.com
Thank You